Save Your Heart in 2 Minutes

Taking a break from your busy day may help you ward off heart disease. Getting up to walk around for about 2 minutes at a time every 20 minutes after eating can reduce your body’s glucose and insulin levels, says a new study published in Diabetes Care.

Researchers asked 19 overweight adults to drink a high-sugar, high-fat beverage on three different days. The first day, subjects sat the entire time after drinking. On day two, the subjects drank the beverage but got up every 20 minutes to walk around. And on the third day, they continued with the breaks every 20 minutes, except this time the walking was at a quicker speed.

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Their results: Subjects who walked lightly on their breaks saw a 24 percent decrease in glucose (blood sugar) levels, as well as a 23 percent drop in their insulin levels. Brisk walkers saw a slightly bigger benefit.

How it works: When you stand up and walk around, your muscles contract. This muscular contraction helps your body take glucose from the bloodstream, where it’s then used as energy to fuel the muscles, says David Dunstan, Ph.D., lead study author and professor at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

Why are these drops in glucose and insulin good for your body? Repeated spikes in glucose are known to contribute to a number of negative health outcomes, such as hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular disease, says Dunstan.

Aim to take a break involving physical movement every 20 to 30 minutes for up to 2 minutes, says Dunstan.

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